Respected NYC songwriter, Joey Pinter, never received household namebrand status, like so many of his old C.B.G.B.’s and Max’s Kansas City associates in Blondie, the Ramones, or even the NY Dolls, but underground record collectors, old school people who were there, and in-the-know punk enthusiasts all speak of him with the same glowing, illustrative language most usually reserved for his old friends, Walter Lure and Johnny Thunders. As a lead vocalist, he ain’t no Carl Wilson, more like a punk rock George Thorogood and the Destroyers. His smoke damaged bark is like an angry cross between Tom Waits and Lightnin’ Hopkins, a raspy croak from the lived it all twice, punk soul tent revival. As a rocknroll guitar player, he is one of the best. Ever.

1970′s scribes from “Rock Scene” and “Creem Magazine” were always blown away by his emotion fueled guitar playing in early street-punk bands like Fuse and The Knots. His old Knots “Action” 45 is still a hotly sought-after artifact in “Goldmine” and record convention circles. The great Peter Crowley added that single to the prestigious Max’s jukebox, back in the glory days of glitter. Leee Black Childers used to photograph him and cats like Alice Cooper used to advise him. Joey Pinter remembers when the Lower East Side was like, all piles of bricks and broken windows, hookers in long furcoats, dope dealers dropping buckets out of tenement windows, drag-queens, skinhead mobs, deviant film-makers, early b-boys with Kangols and ghetto blasters, runaway street urchins, squatter punks, Dominican pimps walking up and down Rivington Street in tacky suits, and sloppy ass drunks trying to sell you random found objects, like an unidentifiable piece of bent metal, or used porno mag, or pairs of dirty pants, or aggressively squeegee your windows at the stop-light, hoping for a tip. Lou Reed’s NYC. Street art, and after hours bars and street hustles, when uptown was mostly still too afraid to come downtown. When Pinter lived in NY, it was not full of $1000 a night hotels and yuppies and foodies and hookah bars and shit. It was poverty, immigrants, after hours clubs, a true and vivid melting pot of music, culture, art and ideas. After stints in various bands like the Dogs and Pleasure Pirates, and a furious decade of enduring the wearying highs and lows of the pre-gentrification Greenwich Village rocknroller coaster, Joey and his Knots sidekick, Tony Coiro, decided to reconvene with a new band lineup. When the Heartbreakers broke up, Walter Lure and Joey Pinter and Tony Coiro and Charlie Sox (later Jeff West, when Charlie died) formed the ultimate entertaining garage-soul Downtown Party band, THE WALDOS, whose joyous and energetic performances were religiously attended by the who’s who of NYC rocknroll royalty, back when the Bowery really WAS undeniably electric, before it became the cost prohibitive domain of millionaire kids, hedge fund managers, and Skrillex fans. It may have intimidated some, to step into the spot-lit lead guitar role, alongside Walter Lure, but Joey Pinter had that same D.T.K. streetwise feel, and a tough as leather attitude that precious few can even approach. The Adny Shernoff from the Dictators produced, crunchy pop classic, “RENT PARTY” LP flaunted a surplus of some of the most memorable and beloved songs of it’s era. Unforgettable classics, like, “Love That Kills”, and “Crazy ‘Bout Your Love”, “Crybaby”, “Never Get Away”, and “Golden Days”. THE WALDOS were one of NYC’s great bands and everybody in the classic line-up was a star in his own right, with a larger than life personality. Tony and Walter were both fabulous performers, Jeff West was killer on the cans, and Pinter was a total Keith Richards pirate figure, on lead guitar.

The classic Waldos line-up that crafted the masterful “Rent Party” disc was plagued with countless setbacks and double crosses, even before everybody started dying and going to jail, so they never toured much out of NYC. Sadly, many of the Waldos closest colleagues, comrades, and collaborators like Richie Lure, Charlie Sox, Jerry Nolan, Johnny Thunders, Stiv Bators, Jamie Heath, and Tony Coiro all died in rapid-fire succession, and Joey played the Heartbreakers set at the Thunders Memorial Concert. After some time spent as a guest of the state, Joey Pinter packed up his Bible, blue suede shoes, red velvet suitjacket and trusty guitar and relocated to the City Of Angels, where he continued to develop his reputation as a top-notch live performer, broadening his devoted fan-base to include the next generation of red patent leather clad, shaggy headed bad seeds. In recent years, he frequently played alongside various members of the Heartbreakers, Street Pirates, NY Junk, the Humpers, Dr. Boogie, Dirty Eyes, Crazy Squeeze, Testors, Trash Brats, Syl Sylvain and the Teardrops, and the Mau-Maus. He sells out Hollywood venues when he reunites with his old pal, Walter Lure. He was very close friends with Billy Rath (R.I.P.) and was always happy to play onstage with him. Joey Pinter’s dedicated followers have been lovingly awaiting his eponymous solo debut, and Jungle Records re-release of “Rent Party” last year has turned countless new rocknroll fans on to his playing, frequently being featured currently on various radio-shows, prominent blogs, fanzines and podcasts, worldwide. At last, the impatiently anticipated long-playing solo debut compact disc has arrived, and will soon be available for mass consumption.

First thing you notice is the beautiful, elegant packaging. Joey Pinter is the most Down to Earth punknroll star in the world-even his album art reflects his complete lack of pretentiousness. Every greasy kid band on the planet poses in front of the dumpster in the alley in their new haircuts and shiny clothes, or hires a comic book nerd to draw some 70′s van, Frazetta knockoff, barbarian glamazon brandishing a sword on the misty mountain top, JP is simply photographed with his guitar on a blue collar front porch in Chicago with a clothes line. The disc, itself, has a photo of the raggedy amp Walter played in the Heartbreakers, that Pinter played in the original Waldos. Appropriately, the album kicks off with Joey’s antisocial anthem “Be Like You” that rocks like the Professionals, or Physicals, or Damned, or any vintage punk band you love, brimming with piss and vinegar and venting spleen. One of my pals compares it to the Great Train Robbery fugitive, Ronnie Biggs’ notorious collaboration with the Sex Pistols. “Television is your alter/I never wanna be like you!” Joey may be a hermit, but he ain’t hypnotized by the corporate death machine’s Twinkee munching propaganda bullhorns. “Came To Dance” is about cutting a rug, while also slicing through the superficiality of lifestyle programming, underage heiresses, and TV’s relentless divide and conquer fearmongering—short and sweet and to the point. “Smart Enough” is like Marc Bolan jamming with the Heartbreakers. Vintage NYC. Pissed-off. “Favorite Child” is a thing of rough beauty like a bonfire ballad with a rusty can o’ chili beans and a sky full of yellowy stars-a lovely Tom Waits style lullaby. “Blood” is a bolt of howling sandpaper vocalizin’ and Cheetah Chrome/Keith Richards like guitar motherfuckery. “20 East” is apparently about a real landmark and has me smilin’ which I seldom do. Killer! Love it to death! If you ever wanted to know what early Alice mighta sounded like had Thunders and Sylvain replaced Buxton and Bruce, this is your golden ticket! “Old” is about not wanting to deal with the ratracing phonies and scam merchants, two-bit hustlers, and shitbags. Joey Pinter is a conscientious objector of bullshit culture, across the board, who summarily rejects all phoniness- he don’t dig the slick p.r. that passes for news, the gutless corporate music, trendy foods, or fast food religions, and is unwilling to suffer fools gladly–he did his decades long tour of duty in the sticky trenches of rocknroll’s seediest dive bars already, and now, he’d rather read a book, or write new tunes, then entertain some showbizzy, social climbing bullshitters. “Sad Girl” is another delicate love song about the intense love of his life where Joey opens up his heart and spills it all over the stage. “My life has been a drag for so long…”, he confesses…it’s intimate, like a solo Thunders song. Very sweet, a touching tribute to his soul mate, those two are like a fairy tale, together. “Orient Door” reminds me of the Patti Smith Group’s “Dancing Barefoot”, or a 60′s pop song, with its understated, almost psychedelic feel. People who grew up in the album culture will love the diversity of his music–folks who were expecting ten fast Ramones songs will be surprised. “Swamp Boogie” loiters around the all night diner with Dr. John and John Lee Hooker. Cool. Joey Pinter’s an outlaw guitarslinger, a grandfather, a street survivor, an academic history buff, a pipe smoking curmudgeon, and a switchblade wielding, torn and frayed, full-fledged rocknroll hero, but he has this abiding and inspirational faith and optimism and even his grouchiest and most short-tempered anti-society protesting is always shot through with light and hope and admonishing people to do the right stuff. He’s seen ‘em come and seen ‘em go and lived it all ten times or more, and now, he knows shit, and endeavors to share that hard earned wisdom, experience, and strength with others. He wants to save you some hardships and pain, but he knows most of us ain’t listenin’; we’re too distracted by manufactured scandals and media brainwashing on our tiny gadgets. “Upnorth@” has a poppy Waldos feel, a bit like the Records, and a sneeringly savage vocal with that trademark Joey Pinter gutter-drunk guitar smoking up your alleyway. “What Now” is a great name for a Joey Pinter tune–it really captures his essence. That song is just so HIM. He’s like a cranky Doc Holiday figure.

The real spirit of dangerous rocknroll with soul pre-dates Alan Freed and Elvis Presley and probably always existed in bathtub-gin juke-joints and hillbilly hoe-downs and gospel hollers, and NYC’s Joey Pinter is still able to distill 120 years or so of recorded music history into wildly potent two to three minute ecstatic blasts of sweetness, swagger, animosity, and shake a tailfeather fun. I don’t expect this CD is going to be a big crossover sensation with the sports people at the food court who like Taylor Swift and think punk rock means jock bands influenced by the Offspring. But three or four damaged generations of hoodlums, greasers, acid punks, terrace stompers, Bowery rats, and glitter dolls on the corner stoop will all find something on this disc that immediately resonates. Jeff Ward from Gunfire Dance and NY JUNK says, “I played it loud, then played it again… louder!” If you like the Shangrillas or Bubblegum Screw, Jerry Lee Lewis or Chuck Berry, the Electric Chairs or Willie Deville, the Dictators or D-Generation, the Pretty Things or NY Dolls, the Who or Spiders From Mars, there is something here for you. This record is spilling all over with nasty attitude and heartfelt emotion. “Written Down” is another instant classic: “it’s all been written down before…”

I remember I asked Wayne Kramer one time where he gets his faith to push forward in dark times from, and he told me “experience”. Joey Pinter has that same brave certainty that it’s all gonna be okay. I’ll be playing this record for a long time to come. Seventeen songs, but no fuckin’ around. “Isadora’s Last Dance” is another classic Waldos style barnburner that succinctly illustrates that Walter was not the only primo songwriting talent of that band and seems like a vulnerable olive branch extended to an intensely loved one. Very poignant, sentimental song for someone he obviously feels strongly about. “Serves Me Right To Suffer” is an old blues tune that Peter Crowley probably told him to cover–bruised and battered, splattered all over Manhattan. “Jesus Loves A Crisis” is like a Rolling Stones gospel jam about his spirituality and who he calls upon when rich landlords are kicking him out, or he’s getting ripped off by predator showbiz sharks, or the future seems uncertain. Ain’t nobody else writin’ about salvation or forgiveness, or looking inside and admitting wrong, these days. Very deep–Billy Rath would have loved that song. “Haldol” is a harrowing tale of Less Than Zero pill freaks and speed demons in lavish houses they did nothing to earn in the Hollywood Hills, alleycat shriekin’, pool parties gone bad, Manson chicks and sayin’ farewell to all the bullshitters, barflies, psychos, and liars. And just like that, this whoosh of a party platter ends abruptly and you feel as if you just saw Joey Pinter’s life flashing before your eyes. Five stars.

Nowadays, Pinter has relocated to the Blues Mecca of Chicago, but will be making a special appearance in his old NYC stomping grounds for the JOEY PINTER ALBUM RELEASE CELEBRATION on August 26th. This is gonna be a spectacular shindig featuring JP and co starring his friends the Hipp Pipps, The Waldos, NY JUNK, and the Sweet Things! ‘Lot of excitement in the air, a lot of surprises in store. If you are in striking distance of Sodom On The Hudson, you won’t want to miss this important extravaganza. It promises to be standing room only, family reunion kind of event, with people bussing in from all over the country, so dry clean your favorite mohair sweater, stripy tie, silver scarf, feather vest, plastique trousers and sequined suitcoats, and buy your tickets early!

Coming from out of the shadows Joey Pinter releases this brand new self titled album of seventeen songs. Not exactly being a prolific artiste, Pinter - for the uninformed - was once a member of The Waldos, so you can guess where this record is going to be pitched right? RIGHT?

That gritty rock ‘n’ roll street tough, been there, done it, and got the scars attitude, is all over this record. From opening number 'Be Like You' to the dying embers of track seventeen 'Haldol' you know exactly what you're getting.

Sure I said seventeen tracks. Joey has had a lot of time to write material, and you get the feeling you're not being short changed at all here, and from the opening track we’re right back in The Waldos ballpark, but hey what did you expect? Pinter has a rasping voice and can certainly hold a tune as he delivers his street sermons of life as he sees it. 'Came To Dance' is a little rough but the tune flies. The record ebbs and flows nicely as you get the sort of songs you'd expect, like the slower more bluesy numbers, but they have decent arrangements with acoustic guitars introduced into the rhythm, and on songs like 'Orient Door' it actually ends up sounding like a decent Green On Red song. In fact I'd go as far as to say that a lot of this record has the Dan Stuart/Chuck Prophet about it; It's loose and 'Swamp Boogie' is a great example of this.

If you just want straight ahead rock ‘n’ roll then Joey can do that too, like the Keefisms on '@Upnorth' not too dissimilar to another singer songwriter I really like, Kevin K. You even get some repetitive synth on 'Written Down' that drives the song along. It's sloppy and loose and that's a large part of the charm and allure - this isn't something you can fake and Pinter is living these songs. There's something really endearing about songs like 'Isadora's Last Dance' in fact this whole record is wholly unoriginal but I do know it’s rock ‘n’ roll and that trumps all.

Joey Pinter has knocked out a really decent record here, full to the brim with top tunes all played from the heart rock ‘n’ roll, and as Mick once famously said "It’s Only Rock N Roll, But I Like It"…. which folks, is more than good enough for me.

Joey Pinter - Joey Pinter (self released)

There are few survivors from when New York City’s rock and roll world revolved around a few seedy nightspots in a now unrecognisably gentrified district called The Lower East Side who are still musically active. Joey Pinter is one of them, making spirited, raw guitar music on their own terms, and this is his debut solo album.

Transplanted to Los Angeles and now living in Chicago, Pinter is best known as Walter Lure’s guitar foil in his killer post-Heartbreakers outfit, The Waldos. These guys should have been huge but labels kept their distance and Walter had a career in stockbroking that clipped their touring wings. Their solitary album, "Rent Party", was recently re-issued and kicks arse.

Pinter played in a host of other NYC bands, most notably with Max’s Kansas City regulars The Knots whose solitary 45 “Heartbreaker” b/w “Action” is highly collectable. So he has lots of form.

If you’re looking for spit and polish you’ve come to the wrong place: ”Joey Pinter” is raucous and untempered and the songs littered with sharp-edged riffs. Just what you’d expect from a veteran of the CBGB versus Max’s wars.

Pinter’s never going to be invited to sign-on with the Vienna Boys Choir and his croaky Queens drawl would give Cheetah Chrome a run for his money in the paint stripper gargling stakes. The songs are often kiss-offs about butting heads with a significant other - the sonic equivalent of throwing their clothes out the eight storey tenement window and onto Avenue B after a bitter bust-up. Nobody does angry like a New Yorker and Pinter’s guitar does a lot of talking here.

Joey’s unashamedly a graduate of the Thunders school - he shared stages with the guy and even copped lessons from him. When it came time to call someone to play in a home town tribute to the late JT, Pinter is the man they called. Johnny’s ghost is all over these songs in the tone and sustain, along with lashings of Stones and classic blues licks and a big dash of glam.

There's plenty to revel in. Caustic guitar scorches the raunchy putdown "Came To Dance" while "Blood" bristles with relentless stabs of Thundersesque attitude. Pinter's guitar is at its most lyrical on "Old", a telling call-out to a woman whose name stays unknown.

"Sad Girl" pushes Joey's vocal to the far reaches of its range and the fiery overdriven guitarwork is similarly searing and out on the edge. The Stonesy blues lament "Favorite Child" and the shimmering "Orient Door" detour into delicacy and show Pinter's no one-trick guitar pony. "Written Down" shifts gear to ride a bubbling synth line that's subsumed by the bass and double tracked vocal to be one of the best songs here.

The production verges on homespun but the playing and most of the songs overcome any shortcomings. If somebody wants to put Joey and band into an expensive studio with Bob Clearmountain we can put you in touch. Just as long as Bob doesn't polish the music too much. This stuff needs to be served raw.

Joey poured a lot of himself into “Joey Pinter” - it’s 17 tracks long and could have stood up as an album and spun-off an EP - and there are no pretensions. The rough edges make it all the more endearing. "Joey Pinter" is being released in August and should be available from the man's website or through Facebook. Recommended for fans of Real Rock and Roll.

On Wednesday morning, my wealthy pal offered me and my wife his beach house on Fire Island for the week, starting that day.An offer we could not refuse. Susan and I were on the beach within 4 hours.I was happy as shit until... Oh, fuck!No, sad to report, I was not in town for your release party @ Bowery Electric. My sincerest apologies, but, man, S and I really NEEDED the break.I have listened to the whole CD twice.While the writing and performing and prod is uniformly excellent (killer Nolan-drumming), it's "Blood" I fell in love with.Joey. your right wrist is a fucking HAMMER.I LOVE your playing.Such authority, such swagger.And, man, in this day and age, you are as rare as '58 Flying V.I pride myself on the power of my Townshend right wrist,You've got it, too, brother.My fave line of lyrics..."When I'm worried, when I'm down, nothing bothers me."At first, I thought, Ummm, Joey... WHAT?!Then... I realized... I've been there... You're so bummed, fuck it, add another log to the firestorm, don't mean shit to me.Love WL ending his love note with "pig".He calls me "an old tractor".Long may you slam those P90s.xoxbINk

Lower Third Enterprise

Nicky Lazzoni
August 29, 2015

Hey Joey... Totally enjoyed your show with the The HIPP PIPPS backing...!! I'm listening to your CD now....one of the best things I've heard in 10+ years...totally old school! All the "Johnny riffs" I can pick out, all fast and up=tempo...love it much...whish we had time to hang out....I dont blow my own horn. but being a music afficianto since I bought my first 45 in 1961 and seeing bands at Max's and CBGB since 1975...this CD is toatlly great..the perfect sound I love, '70's... I will promote on my pages..... hope ypu had a safe trip back home and I look foward to you coming back to NYC with a band, who ever, you were great with Frankie and the bunch! Well, I cant say much more without repeating myself...this CD kicks '70's ass!!!!!!! Love you much and pass it along to your wonderful wife, Angie!!!

http://www.lowerthirdenterprise.com/

Sleazegrinder

Pepsi Sheen
August 03, 1994

If you've never lived in NY, you might not be that hip to the WALDOS, but just fifteen or so years ago, they were one of the most entertaining and authentic in-person rocknroll bands on the planet. This aging flash-city-rebel can still vividly recall when a Waldos performance was a big event, something to look forward to, when all the Babylonian cognoscenti were packed sardine tight with bozo-red lips abuzz with talk of Johnny sightings (shooting up in the girls restroom) and whether or not Thunders or Keef or somebody were supposed to show up later. It used to be fun.

Walter oozed his vampire charm in all those natty stockbroker/mariachi band painted suit jackets, porkpie hat, and his filthy trademark-a red and white horizontally striped ancient skinny tie of his.

Jeff West was like this thundering metal drummer who could also swing like Nolan to keep time to all the Waldo's sleazy, 50's and 60's influenced, keg-party classics.

back then, they might be joined onstage by downtown royalty like Stevie Klassen (went on to join the Diamond Dogs and Hanoi Rocks) from the Oddballs, Howie Pyro, or Alison Gordy, at a moment's notice. Even JT himself was known to perform this crazy little leapin' leprechaun jig, outta nowhere, having crashed their stage in the old days. TONY COIRO was the real star of the band-in my bloodshot eyes, anyhoo. The consummate rocknroll gentleman, Coiro was first drafted to replace Born Again, Billy Rath, in the Heartbreakers on one of their reunion tours. Tony was also the principle organizer and driving force behind that poignant and unforgettable Thunders tribute concert. Onstage, Tony Coiro was a frat-rock soul man, beltin' out kickass, from-the-heart renditions of undeniable love songs and goodtimes rabble rousers with a charm and onery grace reminiscent of John Belushi.

Anybody who really appreciates authentic rocknroll, I mean, the classic Flash-Rock-NYC-TRASH owes it to their self to track down the WALDO'S "RENT PARTY" a howlingly good studio document recorded by the classic line-up, at the zenith of their scrappy powers. Produced by usual suspect Andy Shernoff, every song on "Rent Party" brims over with bubble gum pink melody lines and scruffed-up, leathery power chords. "Crazy 'Bout Your Love" is as unforgettable as any catchy power-punk/pop tune you care to mention. If you like stuff like say, the Dictators "Stay With Me" or the Plimsouls "Million Miles Away", you're right in the ballpark.

Walter and Tony's voices compliment each other nicely, and like I said earlier, Pinter had real cowboy soul.

Lure's quintessential tearjerking paean to those "Golden Days", is a gorgeous and sentimental rumination on his rose-lit past, like the stuff Shane MacGowan writes, that pulls on your heartstrings if you've ever ended up underneath the blueish neon half-light of the local pub, every year after year, hearin' the same jokes and breathin' the same stale smoke, askin' each other what you're still doing there, when you know your lives are passin' you by, even as you down another pint, and pretend like everything's gonna be ok. You talk about the guys who used to sit beside you on the empty barstool and swear you just heard the whoosh of the scythe again. I used to put "Cry Baby", "Party Lights", or "Love That Kills" on all my mix tapes we used as soundtracks for all our psychotic, hardcore, sauce-king brouhahas, and if I ever do another radio show, you can be sure the WALDOS will be in regular rotation. Even the cover songs rocked shit-crazy. Ray Charles' "Busted" and the obligatory, Gary U.S. Bonds/Dolls romp, "7 Day weekend" just got the real raunch and rowdy stuff of transformative rock'n'roll magic. You buy this record, you play this record, and you and your bitter, anti-social roommate will start feelin' good, and makin' friends again, no shit. Cookin' out, callin' some people you haven't talked to in awhile up, and "laughin' and a singin' and a doin' all the things like we used to do before!" It's that easy. Jerry Nolan's "Countdown Love". "Sorry". "Never Get Away"--the hits just keep comin'! Hit after hit! You don't wanna go without this disc-this is what real rock'n'roll sounds like!

This inexcusably forgotten, good time motherfucker is probably available on-line-either from Sympathy, or from one of those on-line stores for people with credit cards, and I highly suggest you real flash rockers get ahold of a copy, like, yesterday! "Rent Party" also co-stars flash metal kin-folk and fellow travelers like Michael Monroe (Hanoi Rocks) and Jesse Malin (D-Generation) and will make the rest of yer cd's feel like duds and wallflowers beside it on the shelf. This flawless series of anthemic barn-burners and catchy, soul stirring love songs serve as a fine scrapbook of the dimming, late 80's NYC flash-metal/old school trash-rock scene's last few, fading glory days, before everybody died or moved to Brooklyn and the careerist cyber-geeks and Gap ads moved in. You might as well start blowing up your inflatable pool toys and lookin' for that lampshade now.

What I remember about going to see the Waldos was how it was always an event. All the kids went to be seen in their coolest Dolls finery and to rub shoulders with people like Cheetah Chrome, Chris Barry, Gunfire Dance, Alison Gordy, Sami Yaffa, Gas Wylde, and D-Generation. Back then, everybody had a Keith Richards haircut, but nobody played guitar like Keith Richards, besides, well, Waldos axe-man, Joey Pinter. The Waldos were comprised of summa the fastest guns in Manhattan's early proto-punk underground.

One of the few, and the proud, original Max's Kansas City punk bands, who never got signed to Sire, in Seymour Stein's urgent stampede to efficiently convert all those Bowery inhabiting derelicts into skinny tied new wave money makers, was THE KNOTS. My generation mostly knows them because of the New Bomb Turks cover of their quintessential, "Action" 45. After Joey's various tours of duty in other bands in NYC and Florida including Pleasure Pirates, Brooklyn Trash, the Dogs, etc., ex KNOTS members; both songwriter, Joey Pinter, and bassist Tony Coiro, hooked up with former Heartbreaker, Walter Lure and NYC drummer, Charlie Sox, to form Downtown's favorite partyband, the WALDOS.

“Hard-knocks Joey Pinter wrote the book on gutter grace and is a shining example of the unenviable, but utterly admirable, difference between vapid, manufactured celebrity and purist punk individualist. He ain’t no manufactured emobot. He is a lived it, seen it all, twice, rock STAR. There’s nothing more righteous than an outlaw soulman who overcomes all the odds, endures all, and stays true to himself. JOEY PINTER is the 4-Real essence of rugged independence and Max’s Kansas City cool. He’s currently hard at work recording his hotly anticipated solo debut. You already know and love charismatic Heartbreaker, Walter Lure. Together, they are an essential combination. Catch ‘em while they’re still alive!

New York Rocker

BE LIKE YOU….Joey Pinter‘s distinctive guitar playing can be heard onJungle Records boss reissue of the WALDOS epic, “RENT PARTY” that also featured that suave old charmer,”Uncle” Walter Lure, who’s currently preparing a U.K. tour backed by various cult heroes from Gunfire Dance and Black Bombers, and even sharing at least one stage with the killer-diller, rakish dandies,The The Bermondsey Joyriders.Old-school punknroll die hards also cherish Joey Pinter‘s 1977 punk band, Knots.. His brand new solo debut can be compared to solo debuts by Brian James (The Damned, The Lords) and Mister Ratboy ( Motorcycle Boy, Pillbox), as it is an unexpectedly solid array of highly listenable songs from a talented songwriter who is primarily known for his outstanding guitar playing, with subject matter drawn from various chapters of his storied history, a stranger than fiction tale of hard livin’, frenzied performances, bitter disappointments, a flawless lp, bottles, dope, jail, sin and salvation, dames, kids, cigars, loud guitar, the whole a.m. sloppy, taco waco enchilada. His bluesy singing is somewhere in between David Johansen yelling at the kids to get off his lawn, and George Thorogood refereeing a little league game, sometimes reminding one of old Alice Cooper, even. His Chuck Berry/Johnny Thunders style, raunchy guitar playing and power-pop songwriting sensibilities drip with soul and his self titled cd is a must have for anybody who is serious about rocknroll. Planes, trains, automobiles, Vespas, magic carpets, or cardboard signs that say, “Bowery Or Bust”, punk rockers from all over are travelling back to New York City on Wednesday, August 26th to be present and accounted for at the JOEY PINTER RECORD RELEASE PARTY at the nightclub, The Bowery Electric. He’ll be backed up by his friendsThe HIPP PIPPS. Doors open at 7 p.m., showtime starts at 7:30. Tickets are $9 in advance or $10 the night of the show, and that’s a helluva lot of entertainment value for a ten spot. You got the mischievous lads, The Sweet Things, The Martinets, NY Junk, The Waldos, and Joey Pinter. That is an awful lot of “ACTION”. Buy your tickets early, and come to dance, this is going to be a jam packed good time.

After the single's release in 1980, the Knots' forward momentum increased exponentially. Peter Crowley stuck the single in a coveted slot on Max's jukebox. Local stores like Bleeker Bob's sold out multiple copies. In Lower Manhattan's club circuit, they shared bills with now-legendary outfits like the Tuff Darts, the Planets, the Fast, Von LMO and many more. The band also arranged a few out-of-town gigs as far west as Detroit with Johnny Thunders, where they were received, despite complications stemming from Johnny's obvious addictions, fairly well.

Joey himself had also achieved local popularity. Manhattan-based avant violinist weirdo Walter Steding pulled Pinter in as guitarist on his hysteric LP sessions, produced by Blondie's Chris Stein and released on Marty Thau's Red Star Records. As Pinter entered the studio to lay down his tracks for the Steding sessions, "Chris hands me a bottle of gin and a Telecaster. He says, 'This is a blues drink.' I took it and said, “What do you want me to play?” He says, “Whatever you want.”

“The The Redwood Bar and Grill just happened to be the most happening place last Saturday for good old fashioned punk rock n roll mayhem. The Waldos played 2 sets through out the long day for fans who ventured out to the Redwood both early in the afternoon and late into the night. As The Waldos made their way to the stage, the few hundred punks began to push up to the front which only made for a better feel as The Waldos broke out into the Heartbreakers classic “One Track Mind”. The sing a longs became constant as Walter Lure and Joey Pinter continued to slam the crowd with classic hit after hit spanning the L.A.M.F album (Born to lose, Get off the Phone, Pirate Love, One Track Mind) and an assortment of Waldos tunes.”

The biggest surprise of the night came about when Frank Infante of Blondie fame hopped on stage and performed “Chinese Rocks”, as extra guitarist of The Waldos. That song has its roots deeply imbedded in the New York punk scene, so it was a very special moment seeing first generation punk rockers reuniting on stage for such a classic jam. As the show ended many knew what they had just seen with their own eyes, and few could believe that such a small hole in the wall bar would be home to such a legendary show put on by The Waldos, The Stitches and Dirty Eyes.

Do yourselves a favor and make sure to catch these bands the next time they are around, it’s a show worth every dollar spent on the price of admission!

One thing that made Pinter great was he was always his own man, he had his own style, and flat-out refused to be some sadly derivative, cliche’ mongering, glitter monkey, like so many others we can all name, who stand in line and pay a cover to step into some dead guy’s blue suede shoes while performing stale karaoke, while the city burns. Joey Pinter often cites Bolan, Bowie, Hunter/Ronson, Pete Townshend, and the Stones as his primary influences, and he effortlessly brings lifetimes of his own unique perspectives, observations, highs and lows to all his crackling performances. He was always the one with the most authentic rock’n'roll authority, on stage. This guy or that guy, all self-proclaimed legends, may have had a more effective marketingcampaign, but Pinter was the one with the soul. He’s possessed and blessed with a timeless coolness, like John Lee Hooker, or Willie Deville, ya know what I mean?

“This is coming from Joey Pinter, one of the hottest living rocknroll guitarists, on the planet. If you ever had the good fortune to see the Waldos in their prime, or to own the classic, “Rent Party”, you know I ain’t lyin’. I remember goin’ to see the Waldos for the first time with my old friend, the World Famous Mister Ratboy from Pillbox, etc., etc., and seein’ J.P. menace the front row, playin’ his guitar, right in your face, like Chuck Berry, or Brother Wayne Kramer, and bein’ like, “Whoa, who’s THAT?!” The Waldos weren’t the youngest, or the skinniest, or the ones shmoozin’ with the models and the corporate press, but they were definitely the baddest band on the block, I mean, they just HAD it, Joey Pinter was the MAN, so when he praises a band, you know it ain’t no jive-ass smoke blowin’.”

Village Voice

Jonny Whiteside
April 14, 2013

Even decades later, the loss of Johnny Thunders still rankles as one of rock & roll's worst casualties, but the clan assembled for the fourth annual Thunders memorial meltdown will assuredly pay appropriately lurid homage to that vastly influential rocker. Chief among these are former Thunders/Heartbreakers six-string linchpin Walter Lure, one of the all-time greatest rock & roll/proto-punk live-wire wise asses, and his magnificently trashy Waldos, who feature fellow NYC Underworld survivor Joey Pinter, a guitarist capable of flabbergasting slash-and-burn pyrotechnics. And you get The Zeros, class of '77 punk rock's all-time finest glam-tinged boulevard brats, whose obsession with the likes of Thunders, The Seeds and Standells produced a catalog of original songs that stands unrivaled. In a word, LAMF: Like a Mutha Fucka, kiddies! — By Jonny Whiteside

When a person has the colorful past like Joey Pinter has it is often hard from them to recollect their memories from long ago that have been tinted by booze and drugs, but Joey Pinter has no issues telling his story from start to finish. Joining the music scene in 1973, one of his first bands, The Knots, released a punk single that fits perfectly in with the New York ideology (reissue available from Last Laugh Records here: http://lastlaughrecords.us/). Getting his chops gigging around with Walter Lure, Joey has played with every single Heartbreaker but hates living in the past, on the coattails of someone else’s fame. In 2012, he is back and ready to strike with a hot new solo record. I was lucky enough to catch him between studio sessions.

Punk Globe:

So who came first Knots or Fuse?

Joey Pinter:

Fuse.

Punk Globe:

Weren’t they the same?

Joey Pinter:

Almost, they were both in and out. Tommy Bell and I had problems with finding the people we really liked, so we were auditioning drummers so we picked up Jerry Ryan, millions of people auditioned (Mark Bell was one of them, Stew something or another who was playing with the Dictators came down). A lot them were very, very good. A guy showed up with his bicycle and his drumsticks taped to the bike and I thought, “What am I going to do with this!” and we started playing all our standard audition songs and the guy was amazing. So then we had him. We had a difficult time with bass players and guitar players; many times I played by myself because we just couldn’t get guitar players. There was never a definitive one band then another band; it always fluctuated back and forth. There wasn’t a band for a while, in fact, I started playing with other people. But then got back with Nicky Fuse…

Punk Globe:

How did you get the gig recording with Johnny Thunders?

Joey Pinter:

I had known him for a long time and we were going into the studio to record out of Queens, and John had suggested he come out and produce. Of course we agreed. We did a whole shit load of songs that John produced. He taught me how to get a really amazing sound out of a Twin Reverb Amp. I don’t know where those tapes are and I wish I did. I thought my ex-wife had them, but she doesn’t. We always kind of worked back and forth together. If I remember correctly the tracks had a lot of Johnny’s background vocals and some of his guitar playing…

Punk Globe:

Being so casual it was it a surprise the project was shelved?

Joey Pinter:

It’s not surprising. It was not a formal project, it was a ‘let’s get together and fuck around’ thing.

Punk Globe:

When was the last time you saw Johnny?

Joey Pinter:

Of course! It was about a week before he died. He had come back from Japan and the Waldos were playing at some fucking place and I remember talking to him and he was mentioning he was going to New Orleans. I kept telling him it was a billion degrees and he said to me “there is music everywhere,” he was hell-bent on going.

Punk Globe:

Weren’t you going to be on Sire Records for a while?

Joey Pinter:

Seymour Stein was talking to us, as he was with many other bands at that time. Seymour didn’t like Tommy Bell the singer. I had no idea how heavy this guy was- I was an idiot, I was twenty something years old. He calls me up one day and says “I’ll sign you right now but you gotta get rid of that singer” and it would go from there. I didn’t listen to him. He also wanted me to stop drinking… I didn’t realize he was paying his bills and feeding his kids from the music business while I was crawling around on my parent’s floor on Brooklyn…it fell through.

Punk Globe:

Can you talk about how the original pressing of your Knots ’45 was mis-pressed by 10,000 copies? Are you sure the story is true…?

Joey Pinter:

I’m absolutely sure. Our producer was on the phone with the company that manufactures the record, the factory, and he originally wanted 2,000 copies and in the middle of the conversation he said, “No give me a thousand of them.” So the person writing the invoice, instead of writing a new invoice, scratched off 2 and put a 1 next to it… By the time two or three carbon copies were made it looked like 12,000 instead of 1,000 or 2,000. He called the pressing company and they worked out a thing, and he didn’t have to pay for 11,000 records, he just paid for the original 2,000. Where they are? I have no idea! I believe Tony’s wife might have some of them but I don’t know about that because he didn’t even play on the record he just got his picture on it! Tony and Nicky are on the cover but neither one of them played a note, kind of weird! I don’t know…

Punk Globe:

What’s the scoop on the new, groovy Knots reissue?

Joey Pinter:

Well apparently it’s released. I heard it, it sounds really kind of interesting because they removed the synthesizer. When you are mastering you do a lot of mixing… Angie, my wife, does this more than me, I don’t really care. We had another track that my ex-wife found and it sounds really kind of interesting but I’m not sure of his [Last Laugh Records] plans of releasing it, I think he wants to do it on a compilation.

Joey Pinter:

Have you heard it yet?

Punk Globe:

Yes, it’s amazing. It sounds so much better without that cheesy synthesizer on it!

Punk Globe:

Along with Robert Fripp and Richard Lloyd you laid down all other bass and guitar lines Walter Stedding’s self-titled album. How did that come together and was that your first encounter with platinum selling Chris Stien?

Joey Pinter:

Jerry Ryan had come by during the day and said, “show up at this address, you don’t need a guitar.” I thought we were going to a loft, but I show up at this place in Chelsea and get on the elevator and there is a receptionist there and shit and they point me where to go and Debbie and Chris are there. I immediately apologized because I thought I was in the wrong place! They said, “This is the right place!” Chris had this beautiful Telecaster and a bottle of gin and I said, “What do you want me to play?” and Chris said, “Play anything” and that was that. I think it was two or three days long and it was a lot of fun. I didn’t really have any interaction with Fripp or Lloyd. I did the guitar tracks and sat in the control room and played some bass, as much as you can play bass on that album. That album is totally weird and I was happy to do because it was a head of its time. Stedding was a really fucking nice guy; we hung out a lot together.

Punk Globe:

What’s with Walter Lure?

Joey Pinter:

I always found it really easy to play with Walter, there was always something for me to do with those songs. We mesh really well together. I was never at a loss with those songs.

Punk Globe:

It came out over 20 years ago, you would think good, ole’ Waldo is tired of playing the same songs. Is he? Are you?

Joey Pinter:

I am, actually. I sit with him exactly where I am sitting here talking to you, time and time again and I pour alcohol into him trying to get the answers I want to hear. I know people who know people who have money in their hand to put him into the studio and he won’t do it. I say, “What do you think everyone is going to compare it to LAMF?” Well of course they are! They compared Rent Party to LAMF. We were really lucky with Rent Party that it worked out so well. I mean…he has got more money than all of us! I don’t understand how he keeps doing it. It would drive me crazy! Thank God I only have to do every couple of years.

Punk Globe:

When will there be another Waldos’ album?

Joey Pinter:

I really don’t believe it will happen. I think he’s really content having his life the way he is. If people put up money they will want him to tour and he refuses. He has the fabulous Wall Street job where he’s making a shit ton of money. He can’t afford to do that. He does it three times a month doing local or semi-local gigs. But I don’t think it’s going to happen. I haven’t decided where I’m going to put him on my new album.

Punk Globe:

Max’s Kansas City or CBGBs?

Joey Pinter:

Max’s, without a doubt!

Punk Globe:

Who’s playing you in the new CBGB movie?

Joey Pinter:

[Laughs]. I’m not in it. I was never one of the cool ones. I was there but not cool. I’m still not one of the cool ones, that’s okay though, I’m tired of trying.

Punk Globe:

What were some of your favorite bands of that time?

Joey Pinter:

Easy! There were a couple bands I always made a point of going to see. That was the Planets and the Tuff Darts. I saw the Fast so much that if I went to see them I did or didn’t. I absolutely made a point of seeing the Planets and the Tuff Darts.

Punk Globe:

Who from that scene would you like to work with?

Joey Pinter:

Now? I’d like to play with Marky Ramone, he’s a great drummer! I’d like to play again with Elliot Micheals but that’s it from the top of my head.

Punk Globe:

Tell us about your new album?

Joey Pinter:

Where we are now- putting the drums on stuff. My notes say: listen to the guitars and see what to change. I want to pick up on the energy to the drums that we just recorded, some of it I’m going to leave alone but some of it I’m going to change. There is a lot of harmony stuff, and I don’t sing very well. I use the word “harmony” sparingly, I don’t mean like Crosby Stills & Nash! There are solos that I want to add and a buddy of mine that I want to play sax. Walter is going to play a track and another guy in New York is going to play a track. It’s in motion, finally! The finish date- a couple of months I suppose. I can’t think of too many things or my head will explode.

Punk Globe:

Any cool collaborations or strictly solo?

Joey Pinter:

Yeah there will be a lot of collaborations. A lot of my LA friends… There will be a lot of familiar names from New York and LA! So far I’m very fortunate to have Arthur Alexander (the Poppees,Sorrows, Arthur Alexander Band) producing and Luis Herrera (Arthur Alexander Band, Nasty Souls) on the drums.

Punk Globe:

You got to get Steve Conte and Sylvain to play on it!

Joey Pinter:

The first time I met Steve was at Redondo Beach I believe. We played on the same bill in New York a year or so ago. I heard from Sami the other day. He’s always been one of my favorites. I’m working on it! Those two have always been some of my favorites. We never were big asshole buddies, but over the years I run into them and play on the same bill with them. They always are nice guys, straight up. So many people in their shoes have the wrong attitude about everything, but not them. Syl was never one of those guys and neither was Jerry Nolan. When I first met Conte I was hoping he’d be a dick, but he’s a really fucking nice guy!

Punk Globe:

Tell us something that no one knows about you!

Joey Pinter:

I’m into weird keyboard music, like that Sire band Renaissance!

Punk Globe:

Can we expect a synth solo on the new record?

Joey Pinter:

No!

Punk Globe:

Any advice for aspiring guitarist that need some motivation?

Joey Pinter:

Never give up on your sound. Don’t listen to what the radio tells you, do what you think is right…

SpongeBob SquarePants email

Tom Kenny
August 25, 2011

Joey -

Every time I run into Nancy, I go on and on about how great The Waldos (& you in particular!) were at the Redwood. In today's synthesized, auto-tuned world, it was just a cool life-affirming adrenaline kick to see somebody who's not a kid, but at the top of their game, with their attitude intact. (It's what we all should shoot for in this world!)

Your wisecracks would have been worth the price of admission even without your great guitar playing, but the one-two punch is somethin' that today's crop of "rockers" couldn't touch with a ten-foot pole!

Please don't hesitate to email or telephone if you have any shows happening in future.